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showing 10 items of 806 documents
Pro-inflammatory effects of interleukin-17A on vascular smooth muscle cells involve NAD(P)H- oxidase derived reactive oxygen species.
2010
T cells are known for their contribution to the inflammatory element of atherosclerosis. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the Th17 derived cytokine IL-17 is involved in the pro-inflammatory response of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The aim of the present study was to examine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) might be involved in this context. The effect of IL-17A on ROS generation was examined using the fluorescent dye 2′7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (H<sub>2</sub>DCF) in primary murine VSMC. IL-17A induced an increase in H<sub>2</sub>DCF fluorescence in VSMC, and this effect was blocked by the NAD(P)H-oxidase inhibitor apocynin and siRNA targeting …
Kawasaki disease in Sicily: clinical description and markers of disease severity
2016
Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis of small and middle size arteries; 15-25 % of untreated patients and 5 % of patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) develop coronary artery lesions (CAL). Many studies tried to find the most effective treatment in the management of resistant KD and to select the risk factors for CAL. Our data are assessed on children from west Sicily, characterized by a genetic heterogeneity. Methods: We studied the clinical data of 70 KD Sicilian children (36 males: 51 %; 34 females: 49 %), analysed retrospectively, including: demographic and laboratory parameters; echocardiographic findings at diagnosis, at 2, 6 and 8 weeks,…
Degradation of phosphatidylethanol counteracts the apparent phospholipase D-mediated formation in heart and other organs.
2003
Phosphatidylalcohols, such as phosphatidylethanol (PEth), are formed from phosphatidylcholine in the presence of a primary alcohol (e.g., ethanol). This 'transphosphatidylation' reaction is used as specific phospholipase D (PLD) assay. Accumulation of PEth in tissues is recognized as a reliable measure of PLD activity, as PEth is allegedly metabolically stable. The general validity of this assumption was reinvestigated in isolated rat heart, small intestine and brain slices. The half-times of 3H-PEth degradation (labelled with 3H-myristic acid and preformed by ethanol exposure for 30 min) were about 1 h in heart and small intestine, but 17 h in brain. As the formation of PEth is superimpose…
European experiences with push-and-pull enteroscopy in double-balloon technique (double-balloon enteroscopy).
2006
This article describes research concerning push-and-pull enteroscopy. Clear and possible indications for this technique are highlighted.
Effects of fabrication on the mechanics, microstructure and micromechanical environment of small intestinal submucosa scaffolds for vascular tissue e…
2013
In small intestinal submucosa scaffolds for functional tissue engineering, the impact of scaffold fabrication parameters on success rate may be related to the mechanotransductory properties of the final microstructural organization of collagen fibers. We hypothesized that two fabrication parameters, 1) preservation (P) or removal (R) of a dense collagen layer present in SIS and 2) SIS in a final dehydrated (D) or hydrated (H) state, have an effect on scaffold void area, microstructural anisotropy (fiber alignment) and mechanical anisotropy (global mechanical compliance). We further integrated our experimental measurements in a constitutive model to explore final effects on the micromechanic…
Anti-inflammatory Function of High-Density Lipoproteins via Autophagy of IκB Kinase
2015
Background & Aims: Plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are frequently found decreased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, and because HDL exerts anti-inflammatory activities, we investigated whether HDL and its major protein component apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) modulate mucosal inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The human intestinal epithelial cell line T84 was used as the in vitro model for measuring the effects of HDL on the expression and secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-responsive promoter activity was studied by …
Application of small angle neutron scattering to micellar fluids
1990
Abstract In this paper we present a short overview of the application of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to micellar fluids. In the first part of the paper a general expression of the scattering equation is derived, with particular emphasis on the approximations involved and on their practical consequences. In the second part of the paper we present six selected test cases (such as mono- and polydisperse fluids, critical fluids, shapes other than spherical, etc.) taken from our own work, to demonstrate the kind of analysis performed in each case to extract the information from SANS data.
Study on the initial stages of water corrosion of fluorozirconate glasses
2004
Abstract The surface corrosion process associated with the hydrolysis of fluorozirconate glass, ZBLAN (53ZrF 4 , 20BaF 2 , 20NaF, 4LaF 2 , 3AlF 3 ) was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), grazing-incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After a short exposure period (25 min) of the glass surface to deionized water the XPS data indicate an increase of the oxygen content accompanied by a decrease of fluorine concentration. The analysis of the chemical bonding structure identified the predominant surface reaction products as zirconium hydroxyfluoride and oxyfluoride species. The second most abundant…
Brain lateralization probed by water diffusion at the atomic to micrometric scale
2019
International audience; Combined neutron scattering and diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance experiments have been used to reveal significant interregional asymmetries (lateralization) in bovine brain hemispheres in terms of myelin arrangement and water dynamics at micron to atomic scales. Thicker myelin sheaths were found in the left hemisphere using neutron diffraction. 4.7 T dMRI and quasi-elastic neutron experiments highlighted significant differences in the properties of water dynamics in the two hemispheres. The results were interpreted in terms of hemisphere-dependent cellular composition (number of neurons, cell distribution, etc.) as well as specificity of neurological functions (s…
Les agglomérations antiques du Val de Saône : émergence et mutations d’un réseau urbain de la fin de l’âge du Fer au début du Moyen Âge
2019
The aim of this thesis is to study the processes of emergence, structuring and mutation of an ancient urban network from the end of the Protohistory to the beginning of the Middle Ages in a micro-region located on the edge of the ancient éduens, lingons and séquanes territories, the Saône Valley. This area is characterized by a density of Gallo-Roman small towns with an amount and a high quality of data unequalled in Gaul, as a result of ancient and recent research. While these small towns were among the first studied in the 1980’s, their exploitation was limited to the study of hierarchies and urban functions during the High Empire, neglecting the chronology and the evolution of the urban …